The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has made another move towards the prevention and eventual reduction of corruption in Nigeria to the barest minimum through the introduction of Ethics as a core subject on corruption in the Nation’s primary and secondary schools curricula.

The ICPC Chairman, Barrister Ekpo Nta made this known in his address in Lafia, the Nasarawa State Capital at a Public Sensitisation Lecture organised by the Commission’s National Anti-Corruption Volunteers Vanguard Corps (NAVC) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Nasarawa State.

.The commission’s Chairman, whose message was delivered by the National Coordinator of NAVC and Resident Consultant, Media and Event of ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, explained that introduction of ethics as a core subject on corruption into the school curriculum was to enlighten the children on reasons they must fight the menace, which had eaten deep into Nigerian system, from their tender age.

The ICPC boss mentioned examination malpractice, bullying and cultism among other things which they must not indulge in at their tender age.
While charging the youth and adolescents at the Lecture, he said: “the future of any country is determined by the past and present antecedents of what you invest in. Our youth is our future and one monster that stands between them and a good future is corruption”.

Speaking further, he said “today’s programme is meant to help you identify the monster and teach you how to wage war against it if you are desirous of reaping and enjoying what is rightly yours in a country richly blessed by God. If we do not sustain a zero tolerance of corruption we can safely aver that sustainable economic and social development is unattainable because security and stability in the society is threatened”.

In his lecture titled “Corruption: The Genesis of Nigeria’s Socio-Economic and Security Challenges; The Way Forward”, Mr.Olajide Itiafa Ayodele, a Public Speaker, said Nigeria has no business being poor and so corruption has to be fought in all ramification.

“ At the root of the corruption quagmire in Nigeria is the failure and virtual collapse of governance, the contamination of democratic values, the erosion of accountability procedures, and the looting of the money meant for the socio economic development of the country, thereby creating poverty and security challenges.
Nigeria has no business being poor and so we have to take the bull by the horn and fight this menace called corruption. It has made governance to be ineffective and delivery of dividends of democracy impossible. We must upgrade our value system to the best ethical practice. Our leaders must think aright and stand up to this canker worm eating us apart”.

“Ayodele also said “now is the time to say NO to corruption and YES to a peaceful and developed nation where we have everything in abundance or we will have a system that will eventually consume everyone. The time for change is now”.